This invention pertains to a method of treating water, and to water treatment apparatus in which a continuous supply of treated water may be provided to the user even though the overall storage capacity of the water treatment apparatus of this invention may be relatively low. This permits the apparatus to be typically placed under a sink or counter, or some other small space. Thus, a household which lacks a basement or any other large space may have the benefit of a continuous supply of softened water from the water treatment apparatus of this invention, even while regeneration of water treatment medium is taking place in the apparatus.
Water softening and other forms of water treatment are well known and units for that purpose are available in a large variety of designs. For example, Blight U.S. Pat. No. 2,774,732 relates to the removal of cations from a liquid in which the liquid is divided into separate streams to pass simultaneously through two or more hydrogen cation exchange units operated in parallel. Individual water treatment units of the Blight patent may be removed from service for regeneration of the units.
By this invention, a water treatment apparatus is provided having automatic regeneration means which permits the apparatus to continuously, without interruption, supply treated water to the user while the apparatus can be automatically regenerated to avoid exhaustion of the water treating capacity.